Canes Bar & Grill to end its run after 13 years

Canes Bar & Grill, a well-known concert venue in Mission Beach, plans to close in early November when its lease expires, ending 13 years in business.

Talks to extend the long-term lease were unsuccessful because the landlord wants to reclaim the 11,000-square-foot space, Canes spokeswoman Pamela Johnsen said yesterday.

The landlord is Thomas Lochtefeld, owner of the Wave House water park complex next door.

The Wave House is a tiki-style outdoor bar and grill featuring wave machines and a concert stage. Lochtefeld also owns the master lease to the nearby city-owned Belmont Park.

Calls to Lochtefeld late yesterday were not returned.

In a 2007
San Diego Union-Tribune
story about his plans to renovate and expand the Belmont Park area, Lochtefeld said he has spent more than $8 million upgrading the park and $5 million opening the Wave House.

Canes owner Eric Leitstein said some final negotiations are ongoing regarding Canes vacating the space, so he declined to discuss details.

“It's unfortunate,” he said. “You build a business for 13 years and the landlord says he doesn't want to renew the lease. But what can you do?”

Over the years, Canes has hosted several top-name artists such as Prince and Snoop Dogg. It also featured several prominent bands before they became famous, including Linkin Park, Black Eyed Peas, Maroon Five, John Mayer and Kings of Leon, among others.

Leitstein said he is looking for another location to reopen Canes next year, but he noted that it probably wouldn't be in Mission Beach, where suitable space is hard to find.